Entertainment

9 TV shows that are trying to change the world for the better

Television might be a bit of a crowded party at the moment, but that makes it even more important to point out the shows that are doing it well.

And that's a big group — especially when you look at shows churning out stories with a purpose that goes beyond entertainment.

Here are some our favorites:

Important TV shows

Mom (CBS)

Rare is the comedy that can take on an issue like addiction with as much honesty and grace as Mom -- and the show makes it look so easy, too. A recent episode saw the tight-knit group of recovering women at the center of this tale lose a young member to an overdose. It was quite the balancing act, but one that won the show much-deserved raves.

Image: CBS

The Carmichael Show (NBC)

To simply call this show a sitcom is selling it short. In its first season alone -- only six episodes -- Carmichael tackled everything from racial profiling to gun control with a sharp humor that felt more perspective-giving than preachy, which is not easy to do. The series returns for a second season March 9.

Image: NBC

American Crime (ABC)

Season 1 may have won this anthology raves and award show acclaim, but Season 2 has taken it to an all-new level with a story about a boy who accuses a male classmate of rape. It's a tale so gripping and with so many twists that it's easy to forget how many viewers might be learning about the issues tackled here for the very first time.

Image: ABC

Black-ish (ABC)

As a whole, Black-ish is one of the best family sitcoms out there. But this past Wednesday's installment -- a bottle episode in which parents Bo and Andre try to explain to their kids the nuances of the Black Lives Matter movement -- was this show at its best. Their conversations were ones happening in every living room in America, bound by an ideal that needs little discussion: the desire to make the world a better place.

Image: ABC

Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

We assure you, this isn't just our undying love for Mariska Hargitay speaking. Though it's been on the air for approximately 55 seasons, this NBC procedural uses its platform to teach its audience a host of lessons about sexual consent and so-called "rape myths." In fact, a study found that watching the show positively educates viewers on those subjects and more. Think about that the next time you bash a procedural.

Image: NBC

Last Week Tonight (HBO)

John Oliver may not like when the media gives him kudos for his epic powers of verbal destruction, but we certainly love them. Oliver's show, influenced of course by The Daily Show, has blazed a whole new category of television and entertainment that Samantha Bee's Full Frontal seems to have joined: activ-research-alism comedy. Whatever, we'll work on the name. You can call Oliver a social justice warrior; we'll simply call him a must-watch.

Transparent (Amazon)

This Amazon show's trailblazing work for the transgender community can't be understated. From its casting of members of the LGBTQ community, to storylines that broke long-held misconceptions, this Emmy winner is a triumph that has given way to a new era of understanding.

Image: Amazon

You're the Worst (FX)

Many shows have tried to highlight mental health issues, but they often fail to show viewers that true depression is a lot more complicated than being sad for a single episode. In Season 2, You're the Worst gave the subject some long-overdue love and care with a story about Gretchen's clinical depression and her friends' struggle to help. It wasn't the funniest plot, but it was all the more important for that.

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